


Eyes Like Sinking Ships

by lalunasol



Category: Shadow and Bone (TV), The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Book 2: Siege and Storm, Canon Compliant, Drinking, Drunken Flirting, Drunken Kissing, Everyone Is Gay, Jealous Nikolai Lantsov, Jealousy, Kinda, Love/Hate, M/M, One Night Stands, One Shot, Secret Identity, Sturmhond - Freeform, aleksander gets cockblocked again, bi darkling, bi nikolai, nikolai is nikolai, nikolai pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 13:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30039165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalunasol/pseuds/lalunasol
Summary: Nikolai and the Darkling have a drink together :)
Relationships: The Darkling | Aleksander Morozova/Nikolai Lantsov
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	Eyes Like Sinking Ships

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place early on in Siege and Storm, somewhere between after the Darkling captures Alina and before Nikolai rescues her. There's implied Darklina and Nikolina but it's kept to a minimum because I didn't want to detract from Darkolai, but completely ignoring it I feel would make the story less canon compliant, which I just really wanted to do. Also this is the first fic I'm actually uploading so it's a bit rough around the edges. Also also the title is based on Gold Rush by Taylor Swift because I just had to. Anyway, enjoy :)

“Gleaming, Twinkling, Eyes like sinking ships, On waters so inviting, I almost jump in.”  
Nikolai could feel the waves of the True Sea lapping against the hull of his ship as he attempted to ignore the Sun Summoner yelling for her tracker. He admitted, ignoring her screams of pain was harder than he thought. However, it’s not like he could do anything about it. He couldn’t exactly stand up to the Darkling, especially since that would blow his cover. Luckily the Sun Summoner’s screams eventually faded, Nikolai assumed after the Darkling had decided to send the two of them back to their separate rooms.  
Despite the fact that Nikolai was technically working for the Darkling, he tried to keep as much distance from him as possible, without making it suspicious. He highly doubted that the Darkling would be able to figure out that the famous privateer known as Sturmhond was actually the bastard prince of Ravka. However, Nikolai didn’t want to take the risk.  
And for the most part, he was able to avoid the Darkling. He suspected that it was simply because the Darkling was kept occupied by that Sun Summoner girl who seemed to cause as much trouble for the Darkling as possible, which Nikolai had to admit, impressed him. However, Nikolai’s luck seemed to run dry one dark cloudless night.  
“Sturmhond,” The Darkling strolled up to the privateer, “Why don’t you join me for a drink?”  
“I’d assume someone with your rank would be too busy to drink with the help.”  
“You need not worry. I’ve already killed everyone I needed to today,” The Darkling said with a completely straight face.  
Nikolai blinked. Was that a joke? It sounded like it might be one, although Nikolai knew the Darkling having a “To Kill List” wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibilities. However, the main reason it caught Nikolai off guard was simply that he didn’t expect the big bad Darkling to have a sense of humor.  
“So what do you say?” The Darkling asked.  
Nikolai’s first instinct was to say no, of course. The Darkling wasn’t exactly known for his kindness. However, Nikolai couldn’t stop himself from wondering what it would be like to have a drink with the infamous Shadow Summoner. He told himself he would simply say yes so he could gain more information on his rival for the throne, but deep down he knew that the Darkling was far more likely to weasel secrets out of Nikolai rather than the other way around.  
Nikolai, against his better judgment, shrugged, “Who’m I to refuse alcohol.”  
When they made it to the Darkling’s makeshift office the Darkling poured them two glasses of kvas. While the Darkling was distracted, Nikolai couldn’t help but look on the desk to see if he could spot any of the Darkling’s plans, but all the documents must have been put away.  
“Ah, so the pirate is nosy.”  
Nikolai jolted upright, “I wasn’t-!”  
The Darkling laughed a bit, throwing Nikolai off guard even more. He didn’t know the Darkling was capable of laughing.  
“Relax, Sturmhond,” He continued, “If I was worried about a pirate snooping I wouldn’t have brought you into my office.”  
“Privateer,” Nikolai corrected out of habit.  
The Darkling chuckled once again, “That’s right you’re fond of that technicality.”  
“Technicalities, to some they seem trivial but you and I both know the importance.”  
Did I just compare myself to the Darkling? Nikolai thought to himself, That can’t be good.  
Nikolai’s rough plan had been to figure out some of the Darkling’s plans and so far all he accomplished was comparing himself to his enemy. He needed to get back on course.  
“So,” Nikolai tried to sound as if he was simply starting conversation, “what exactly are your plans for the girl?”  
The Darkling handed Nikolai his drink and took a sip of his own, “I’m sure you’ve heard of her abilities.”  
Nikolai nodded, “Yes, but it doesn’t exactly look like she’s very willing to help you.”  
The Darkling sighed, “She once was.”  
For a second, no half a second, Nikolai could see what appeared to be remorse on the Darkling's face. But it came and went so fast that Nikolai assumed he had simply imagined it. He must have been projecting normal human emotions onto the monster that was currently drinking with him.  
The Darkling continued, “But her current attitude is of no consequence. What’s important is I have time on my side.”  
“Right because you’re an immortal saint or whatever.”  
“I’ve watched saints live and die, I am so much more than a saint.”  
Nikolai couldn’t help himself from rolling his eyes.  
“Besides,” the Darkling took a sip of his drink, “I’d rather die than be a saint.”  
That however caused Nikolai to burst into laughter. He had simply called the Darkling a saint without much thought put into but now, Nikolai was very much considering making the Darkling a saint, that is if Nikolai could get that pesky throne they’re both after. Remembering that the Darkling wasn’t just some guy he could flirt with, but actually his enemy, Nikolai downed the rest of his drink and poured himself another.  
When Nikolai looked back up at the Darkling, he noticed the man’s grey eyes examining him. Nikolai found himself avoiding eye contact with the powerful grisha for fear that his startling gaze would be able to somehow unearth Sturmhond’s true identity.  
“I have heard many legends of your conquests, Sturmhond,” The Darkling said, “However, I have to wonder why you accepted my job. You don’t normally medal in grisha business.”  
Nikolai laughed knowing he’d planned this answer, “What can I say? Piles upon piles of money is my love language.”  
The Darkling chuckled, “So you’re simply in it for the money?”  
No, Nikolai thought, I’m here to save her.  
But instead of saying that, Nikolai responded, “Well… I’ve gotta confess that I’ve heard plenty of stories about you as well.”  
The Darkling raised an eyebrow, “Oh really? All horrible things I hope?”  
Nikolai couldn’t help it, he snorted, “The worst.”  
The Darkling smirked, “And yet you still took the job.”  
Nikolai shrugged, “What can I say? I can never resist a challenge.”  
The Darkling took a swig of his kvas and asked, “Are you sure you’re not a Grisha? I ask because I’ve never met an otkazat’sya I haven’t wanted to rip the guts out of.”  
“Wow, Darkles, I’m flattered.”  
The Darkling glared daggers at Nikolai, “Darkles?”  
Nikolai could feel himself shrinking down into his seat, “I’m drunk,” was his only defense.  
The Darkling let out a mock sigh, “I suppose I was wrong. You truly are an otkazat’sya.”  
“Hey!” Nikolai protested, “For your information, I have been told a plenty of times that I have inhumanly good looks.”  
The Darkling deadpanned, “Your humility knows no bounds.”

As the night passed on, Nikolai could feel the kvas affecting him more and more, to the point where he completely forgot that he was drinking with his supposed mortal enemy. Nikolai could feel the swaying of the ship beneath his feet as he attempted to sober up, even the slightest bit so he could leave, but before he was even able to make any progress he noticed the Darkling’s grey eyes staring down at him once again. For a split second, Nikolai could have sworn that the Darkling was staring at his lips. Nikolai quickly shook that thought out of his head. He was drunk, clearly not thinking straight. Especially considering he didn’t mind the idea that his sworn enemy might have been staring at his lips. He found himself wondering if this feeling was what sailors felt as their ships went crashing down.  
However, now that Nikolai thought about it, it wouldn’t be too horrible if something happened. It’s not like anyone would ever find out, possibly not even the Darkling himself. Although the idea of the Darkling learning that he accidentally mingled with the bastard prince did sound rather enticing.  
Before he could even register what he was doing, Nikolai stood on his wobbling legs and cupped the Darkling’s face into the palm of his hands as he crashed his lips onto the other man’s. At first, Nikolai thought the Darkling would pull away, but he could feel him leaning into the kiss. Soon enough, the Darkling’s cold hands were running through Nikolai’s golden locks as the Darkling turned the soft drunken kiss into a hungry fiery one.  
Nikolai knew what he was doing was wrong, but maybe it was the kvas or the Darkling’s intoxicating aurora, but Nikolai couldn’t force himself to care. All he could think about was how soft the man’s lips were and how he needed him.  
Nikolai had kissed plenty of guys before, but it never quite felt like this. Kissing the Darkling sent his whole body abuz. For possibly the first time in Nikolai’s life, he felt simply powerful, not because he was royalty or a feared privateer, but for simply being himself. He felt himself wondering if this was how the Darkling felt every waking hour, and if he did, it made complete sense to Nikolai as to why the Darkling believed he deserved to rule Ravka. After all, in this moment, Nikolai could barely stop himself from pledging his loyalty to the Darkling’s cause. However, he had a sneaking suspicion that if the Darkling knew who Stumhond truly was, he would use this kiss to do just that. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all.  
But without even realizing it, Nikolai began to unbutton his shirt, all the while trying not to break the kiss. He knew he was being a lot more sloppy than he usually was considering the alcohol running through his veins, but clearly, the Darkling either was too drunk to care or he enjoyed turning the infamous privateer into a fumbling mess. And based on the smile Nikolai could feel growing on the Darkling’s lips, he presumed it was the ladder. That’s when there was a loud knock on the door and Ivan burst in.  
Nikolai pulled away as he could feel his face turning red. Ivan looked a bit startled at first entering the room, but he had quickly regained his composure so fast that it made Nikolai suspect that Ivan was used to walking in on the Darkling with...companions. Is that what I am? Nikolai couldn’t help himself from wondering.  
The Darkling stood upright, brushed off his jacket, and nodded for Ivan to continue as if nothing had just happened. He also seemed to sober up rather quickly and Nikolai also wondered whether that was a Grisha skill or just a Darkling skill.  
Ivan however didn’t speak, he continued to stare at Sturmhond. Nikolai tried to regain a bit of his composure as well by remarking, “Do I have something on my face?”  
Ivan simply said, “Uh,” as he drew his gaze down to Nikolai’s chest. Nikolai followed the gaze to see that his shirt was completely undone.  
“Oh. That,” He tried to act nonchalant as he said it, but he could once again feel his face reddening as he fumbled to button his white shirt back up. From the corner of his eye, he could see what looked like a smirk crossing over the Darkling’s face. So maybe he’s not completely sober quite yet. It must be an emergency after all for Ivan to barge in, but the Darkling seemed to be more occupied with staring at the privateer.  
It wasn’t until Ivan cleared his throat that the Darkling seemed to remember the circumstances. And just like that, the Darkling’s boyish grin disappeared, replaced by a stony expression.  
“Yes, what is it, Ivan?” The Darkling practically growled.  
“The girl,” Ivan paused, “She’s making trouble again.”  
“Of course she is.”  
Ivan turned to leave and the Darkling followed him but stopped at the door frame to look back at Nikolai.  
The Darkling let out a devilish smile as he said, “Tell me when you want to finish our drink.”  
Nikolai could feel his blood rush to his ears, but before he could respond, the Darkling was gone into the night. It wasn’t until the Darkling left that Nikolai’s fast beating heart was able to return to its normal pace. However, as Nikolai stared into the waves of the ocean, his thoughts would often drift back to the glistening silver eyes, which punctured Nikolai’s soul, the ink-black hair that was always in place, which Nikolai had managed to mess up, and the impenetrable facade the Darkling held, which Nikolai was somehow able to breach. Or had he?  
He had heard stories of how the Darkling could so easily manipulate people, but Nikolai couldn’t see why the Darkling would want to manipulate him. Or at least Sturmhond. If the Darkling knew that he was Nikolai, a possible heir to the Ravkan throne, then of course he would attempt to manipulate Nikolai. But as far as the Darkling knew, Nikolai was Sturmhond, and Sturmhond was a merciless “pirate” whose loyalty you could buy for the right price.  
Or maybe it wasn’t that serious. The Darkling was, well not exactly human, but he had the same needs and desires as humans did. Ivan’s mostly calm reaction was an indication of this. So in all likelihood, Sturmhond was just another one of the Darkling’s conquests. However, that thought strangely sent a pit into Nikolai’s stomach. He couldn’t exactly place why. It couldn’t possibly be jealousy, because that would be utterly ridiculous. The Darkling was his enemy. An adversary trying to steal his family’s throne.  
His enemy. It wasn’t until then that the thought completely sank in. Nikolai had allowed himself to be used by his enemy! In normal circumstances, Nikolai was sure he could find a way to use that to his advantage, but he had a suspicion that the Darkling wouldn’t feel betrayed by a privateer he had made out with once. After all, if everything went according to plan, they would never finish their drink. He couldn’t just let the Darkling keep the Sun Summoner. He would betray the Darkling.  
Nikolai shook his head at that, it wouldn’t be a betrayal, he never pledged himself loyal to the Darkling. However, for whatever reason the idea of “betraying” the Darkling only made the pit in his stomach grow worse. And of course, this only made him worry. After all, the Darkling could very easily use tonight against Nikolai in the future if he ever found out who Sturmhond really was. But most of all, Nikolai worried that he was completely and utterly undone by his own sworn enemy, and he just didn’t know it yet.


End file.
